4-H Superyouth: Alyssa Crandall

4-H Youth are the Superheroes of the Future

By Kate Ewer, 4-H Community Educator

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (April 26, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth Development Program connects youth to hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring, contributing members of society. In an effort to recognize the great things that 4-H youth accomplish, each month Cornell Cooperative Extension Chautauqua County will name a 4-H SuperYouth. This month we celebrate Alyssa Crandall.

Alyssa Crandall has devoted nearly a decade of her life to Chautauqua County 4-H. Always smiling, always positive, Alyssa has been a super youth from the beginning of her 4-H career.

Seventeen-year-old Alyssa has been a member of 4-H for nine years and is active in the beef, beef heifer, and market lamb projects. The Wild Oats 4-H club has welcomed Alyssa as their leader for 6 years where she has completed sewing, cake decorating, leather craft, foods, woodworking, and creative crafts life-skill projects. Alyssa is a talented public speaker and has given numerous presentations at county presentation day as well as at the Chautauqua County Fair.

The Steer project has held Alyssa’s interest where she volunteers as a junior committee member on the Beef Project Advisory Committee as well as a junior superintendent in the beef barn at the Chautauqua County Fair. In the project she has been awarded the Stepping Stone and Milestone awards, Most Enthusiastic Junior and Most Enthusiastic Senior in the Beef Project, Champion Herdsman, Distinguished Junior Beef Producer, Most Outstanding Jr. Superintendent, Best All- Around 4-H Member, Champion Heifer Showman, Steer of Merit award and the Beef Project Champion. In 2015 Alyssa received the inaugural Market Steer Production Award acknowledging that she raised her steer in the most efficient manner and received the greatest return for her hard work.

At Cassadaga Valley Central School Alyssa has participated in modified basketball, softball, and modified and JV Volleyball. She is also a member of the Cassadaga/Maple Grove Trap team. The Ellington Fire Department is lucky to have Alyssa serve as president of their Junior Firefighter team since 2010. Alyssa has also coordinated blood drives in Ellington with the Community Blood Bank from 2012-2015 and in 2012 received the Community Blood Bank Chairperson of the Year award. In 2014 Alyssa received the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Chautauqua County Fire Advisory Board. Active in Cassadaga’s FFA chapter, Alyssa currently serves as Vice President and has served as treasurer. She has competed at district and sub-state levels.

When Alyssa isn’t in the barn, shooting trap, fighting fires, volunteering in her community, or leading her 4-H club, you’ll find her working at Wegman’s. Alyssa, a senior, will be graduating in June and pursuing a degree in accounting from St. Bonaventure University.

The 4-H Youth Development Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.